RTS acquires Evo strengthening Qiddiya’s long-term vision for Gaming and Esports**

Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia – 17th February, 2026

Qiddiya City has taken a significant step in advancing its long-term vision for Gaming and Esports after RTS completed the acquisition of the Evolution Championship Series (Evo), the world’s most established and influential fighting game competition.

Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC), the company driving the development of Qiddiya City, is home to the future world’s first dedicated Gaming & Esports District - set to revolutionize the industry. This landmark transaction further reinforces Qiddiya City’s commitment to Gaming, Esports, and community-driven play as core pillars of its destination strategy.

Muhannad AlDawood, Chief Strategy Officer, Qiddiya Investment Company: “Evo is a global gaming institution, built on community, competition, and creativity. Through RTS and Qiddiya City, we are committed to supporting Evo’s long-term growth in a way that respects its heritage and strengthens its role within the global Fighting Game Community. This is about investing in the future of play, and safeguarding what makes Evo special.”

Founded more than 20 years ago, Evo has grown from a grassroots tournament into the world’s largest fighting game event, sitting at the heart of the worldwide Fighting Game Community (FGC).

In 2026, Evo will stage major international events in Tokyo, Japan; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Nice, France as it continues its role as a global platform for competitive excellence, cultural exchange, and community connection.

Under RTS ownership, Evo’s traditions, values, and identity will remain unchanged, with a continued focus on serving players, fans, and publishers at every level of the industry. Key leadership will remain in place, ensuring long-term stability, including Stuart Saw in his role as Chief Executive Officer at RTS.

Stuart Saw, Chief Executive Officer, RTS: “We are proud of our legacy with Evo that started 5 years ago. We’re going to continue investing in the things that matter to our community, elevating and empowering members of the FGC and working diligently with our game developer partners to ensure that Evo benefits all involved parties”

RTS was founded in 2021 as an Gaming Creator talent management and brand consultancy company, operating at the intersection of competition, culture, and commercial growth. QIC completed its acquisition of RTS in September 2025. RTS acquired Evo from NODWIN Gaming. Nodwin Gaming will continue to work with Evo with a focus on leveraging its expertise in emerging markets.

The acquisition closer aligns Evo with Qiddiya City’s broader vision for Gaming and Esports, anchored by the development of the Gaming & Esports District – a purpose-built hub spanning 183,100-square metres comprising four world-class Esports arenas with a total capacity of 73,000 seats and regional industry headquarters for more than 30 companies.

As one of Qiddiya City’s defining projects, the Gaming & Esports District perfectly reflects the city’s ‘Power of Play’ philosophy, where gaming, sport, entertainment, and culture come together within one destination.

About Qiddiya Investment Company

As a major force in delivering the future socio-economic success of Saudi Arabia, Qiddiya is a key component of Vision 2030’s Quality of Life programme. It will become the primary platform through which the Kingdom leads the way in shaping the future of the global sports, entertainment and culture industries, combining scale and ambition with cutting edge innovation and partnerships. It’s flagship initiative, Qiddiya City, is being built just 40 minutes away from Riyadh and when finished will bring the Power of Play to over 40 million visitors a year and become home to half a million people.

About Evo

The Evolution Championship Series (Evo) represents the largest and longest-running fighting game tournaments on Earth. Evo brings together the best of the best from around the world with events in the U.S., Japan, and France (and soon-to-be Singapore in 2027) in an electric showcase of skill and fun, as players and fans gather to honor the competitive spirit in an open bracket format that reveals the world’s strongest fighting game players. Evo was established in 2002 after a series of local arcade tournaments run by Tom and Tony Cannon were first held in 1996 and in 2024, the Las Vegas event featured 10,244 competitors, becoming the largest tournament in esports history. Evo is owned and operated by RTS.